Gas leak at Smileys

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Restaurant staff at Strathmore’s Smiley’s Restaurant and Lounge ended their shift with an adrenaline rush on Jan. 23, when a vehicle crashed into the gas line outside the building causing the business to shut down for hours and emergency services to tend to the scene.
Six employees were evacuated sometime after 5:30 p.m., seconds after witnesses said a truck failed to hit the breaks. The employees were allowed back into the establishment at approximately 9 p.m.
Restaurant owner Amine Alame was at his home when he received the call about the accident and rushed back to his establishment located on Ridge Rd. to await emergency services.
“Instantly, as soon as that happened we called 911 and evacuated the building right away,” said Alame.
“Somebody hit the gas line and broke it wide open so we had to shut down and evacuate, and a few hours later it was fixed and back to business.”
According to ATCO Gas the vehicle ran into the gas meter resulting in a small gas leak. ATCO Gas crews isolated the leak, shut off the gas valve, and began repairs.
“Our crews went in to make sure that the building was safe and that there was no gas accumulations, which was the case, and proceeded to complete the repair and shortly thereafter had the gas turned back on to the restaurant,” said Mike Shaw, vice president Calgary regional operations.
“It’s something we do deal with from time to time and so the fire department and our guys are prepared to handle that and I think everybody including the fire department handled it really well. There was no real risk to the public.”
Strathmore RCMP, the Strathmore Fire Department, and ATCO Gas tended to the scene. After numerous attempts, the Strathmore RCMP were unavailable for comment. According to the Strathmore Fire Department, nobody was injured as a result of the incident.